Salsa club offers free lessons
Monday night Salsa dance club. (Sherry Lucas/Lariat Staff)
If you’re looking for an activity that includes music, social interaction, and having fun the Salsa Club might be the ticket. Free lessons are held on Monday’s at 9:30 p.m. in the PE 300 building.
Ismael Mendoza has been an Instructor at Saddleback College since the spring of 2004 and choreographs the moves every week.
“He grew up doing the Latin dances, he knows It,” said Rachel Lawrence, Salsa dance instructor.
Lawrence, who has been an instructor at Saddleback since the fall of 2005, said she grew up dancing ballet and progressed to basic ballroom dancing but felt it was too structured, which made her try Salsa.
“I fell in love with the culture and I wanted other people to fall in love with it through dance,” Lawrence said.
Mendoza and Lawrence have been teaching together since 2005 and in that same year won the ICC competition.
The Monday night lesson started out in the gym then moved to the mirror lined dance room once it became available.
There were approximately 50 dance students on the floor, and have had up to 80 in the past. The participants ranged from married couples to first year students.
“I thought it would be fun,” said Jack Straw, 18, business major, who is a first year student at Saddleback.
Wear your ballroom shoes or flat comfortable shoes. Ladies, no stilettos please.
An added bonus: An extra-credit opportunity is given if you are taking a Spanish class and attend a Salsa dance session.